Getting kids to care for their teeth is evidently a big challenge. We get notes and reviews from Fun Flosser customers all the time telling us how hard it is, and the candy-coated Halloween season is about to make it worse. What better time to take a fresh look at how to make oral care fun and educational? Take a look at these five tips for making good oral care interesting.

1. Lead by example! I don’t mean to repeat your dentist’s broken record, but good habits are contagious. Let your kids see how much you care about your smile and chances are they’ll want to be just like you.
2. Let them pick out their tools. There are dozens of tooth-care tools for kids out there, from brushes to mouthwash. Get your child involved in the process by letting them choose what they use. We think kid-friendly handles and awesome flavor make Fun Flossers the best choice for flossing, but if your little one wants princesses or superheroes, go for it.
3. Find a way to make it fun. Make up a song or game to go along with brushing and flossing. Silly? Absolutely. But the laughter and goofiness is something your kids will remember for years, along with good habits, of course.
4. Teach your kids why oral care is so important. Tell them what plaque, cavities, and gingivitis are and how to prevent them. Ask your dentist for some disclosure tablets, chewable tabs that turn plaque different colors, or pick up some plaque-revealing mouthwash. Even the youngest kids can see the post-brushing difference if plaque is bright blue!
5. Let them be the teacher. This might seem a little backwards, but education experts say that teaching a subject is sometimes the best way to learn it. While you’re practicing good oral care, set a date when your little student will become the teacher. Set aside a morning for them to teach you how to take care of your teeth.

So how did you teach your kids to take care of their teeth? Do you remember what made good brushing and flossing habits stick in your own mind? Share your tips and tricks in the comments!

Tags: Fun Flossers, Halloween, how to, kids teeth

This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 8:00 am and is filed under Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.